"sell ice to Eskimos" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sells ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "selling ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sold ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sold ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sell<,,sold> ice to Eskimos"
      },
      "expansion": "sell ice to Eskimos (third-person singular simple present sells ice to Eskimos, present participle selling ice to Eskimos, simple past and past participle sold ice to Eskimos)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He's such a smooth talker, he could sell ice to Eskimos.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous."
      ],
      "id": "en-sell_ice_to_Eskimos-en-verb-m1kEPF0x",
      "links": [
        [
          "persuade",
          "persuade"
        ],
        [
          "best",
          "best"
        ],
        [
          "interest",
          "interest"
        ],
        [
          "unnecessary",
          "unnecessary"
        ],
        [
          "preposterous",
          "preposterous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "charm the birds from the trees"
        },
        {
          "word": "coals to Newcastle"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "sell freezers to Eskimos"
        },
        {
          "word": "sell salt to a slug"
        },
        {
          "word": "sell snow to Eskimos"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "persuade people to accept something they don't need",
          "word": "vinde castraveți grădinarului"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "persuade people to accept something they don't need",
          "word": "llevar naranjas a Valencia"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "sell ice to Eskimos"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sells ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "selling ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sold ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sold ice to Eskimos",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sell<,,sold> ice to Eskimos"
      },
      "expansion": "sell ice to Eskimos (third-person singular simple present sells ice to Eskimos, present participle selling ice to Eskimos, simple past and past participle sold ice to Eskimos)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "charm the birds from the trees"
    },
    {
      "word": "coals to Newcastle"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English predicates",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He's such a smooth talker, he could sell ice to Eskimos.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "persuade",
          "persuade"
        ],
        [
          "best",
          "best"
        ],
        [
          "interest",
          "interest"
        ],
        [
          "unnecessary",
          "unnecessary"
        ],
        [
          "preposterous",
          "preposterous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "sell freezers to Eskimos"
    },
    {
      "word": "sell salt to a slug"
    },
    {
      "word": "sell snow to Eskimos"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "persuade people to accept something they don't need",
      "word": "vinde castraveți grădinarului"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "persuade people to accept something they don't need",
      "word": "llevar naranjas a Valencia"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sell ice to Eskimos"
}